diff --git a/src/params/types.ts b/src/params/types.ts
index 5521b018b..5aafb2e27 100644
--- a/src/params/types.ts
+++ b/src/params/types.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 // OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
 // SOFTWARE.
 
+import * as logger from "../logger";
+
 /*
  * A CEL expression which can be evaluated during function deployment, and
  * resolved to a value of the generic type parameter: i.e, you can pass
@@ -28,6 +30,20 @@
 export abstract class Expression<T extends string | number | boolean | string[]> {
   /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
   value(): T {
+    if (process.env.FUNCTIONS_CONTROL_API === "true") {
+      logger.warn(
+        `${this.toString()}.value() invoked during function deployment, instead of during runtime.`
+      );
+      logger.warn(
+        `This is usually a mistake. In configs, use Params directly without calling .value().`
+      );
+      logger.warn(`example: { memory: memoryParam } not { memory: memoryParam.value() }`);
+    }
+    return this.runtimeValue();
+  }
+
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): T {
     throw new Error("Not implemented");
   }
 
@@ -47,7 +63,7 @@ function quoteIfString<T extends string | number | boolean | string[]>(literal:
 }
 
 function valueOf<T extends string | number | boolean | string[]>(arg: T | Expression<T>): T {
-  return arg instanceof Expression ? arg.value() : arg;
+  return arg instanceof Expression ? arg.runtimeValue() : arg;
 }
 function refOf<T extends string | number | boolean | string[]>(arg: T | Expression<T>): string {
   return arg instanceof Expression ? arg.toString() : quoteIfString(arg).toString();
@@ -69,9 +85,9 @@ export class TernaryExpression<
     this.ifFalse = ifFalse;
   }
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
-  value(): T {
-    return this.test.value() ? valueOf(this.ifTrue) : valueOf(this.ifFalse);
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): T {
+    return this.test.runtimeValue() ? valueOf(this.ifTrue) : valueOf(this.ifFalse);
   }
 
   toString() {
@@ -101,9 +117,9 @@ export class CompareExpression<
     this.rhs = rhs;
   }
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
-  value(): boolean {
-    const left = this.lhs.value();
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): boolean {
+    const left = this.lhs.runtimeValue();
     const right = valueOf(this.rhs);
     switch (this.cmp) {
       case "==":
@@ -239,8 +255,8 @@ export abstract class Param<T extends string | number | boolean | string[]> exte
     super();
   }
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
-  value(): T {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): T {
     throw new Error("Not implemented");
   }
 
@@ -321,8 +337,8 @@ export class SecretParam {
     this.name = name;
   }
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the latest version of the Secret in Cloud Secret Manager */
-  value(): string {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): string {
     return process.env[this.name] || "";
   }
 
@@ -340,7 +356,8 @@ export class SecretParam {
  *  if present, or prompted for by the CLI if missing.
  */
 export class StringParam extends Param<string> {
-  value(): string {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): string {
     return process.env[this.name] || "";
   }
 }
@@ -357,7 +374,8 @@ export class InternalExpression extends Param<string> {
     super(name);
   }
 
-  value(): string {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): string {
     return this.getter(process.env) || "";
   }
 
@@ -373,7 +391,8 @@ export class InternalExpression extends Param<string> {
 export class IntParam extends Param<number> {
   static type: ParamValueType = "int";
 
-  value(): number {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): number {
     return parseInt(process.env[this.name] || "0", 10) || 0;
   }
 }
@@ -385,7 +404,8 @@ export class IntParam extends Param<number> {
 export class FloatParam extends Param<number> {
   static type: ParamValueType = "float";
 
-  value(): number {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): number {
     return parseFloat(process.env[this.name] || "0") || 0;
   }
 }
@@ -397,8 +417,8 @@ export class FloatParam extends Param<number> {
 export class BooleanParam extends Param<boolean> {
   static type: ParamValueType = "boolean";
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
-  value(): boolean {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): boolean {
     return !!process.env[this.name] && process.env[this.name] === "true";
   }
 
@@ -411,8 +431,8 @@ export class BooleanParam extends Param<boolean> {
 export class ListParam extends Param<string[]> {
   static type: ParamValueType = "list";
 
-  /** Returns the Expression's runtime value, based on the CLI's resolution of params. */
-  value(): string[] {
+  /** @internal */
+  runtimeValue(): string[] {
     throw new Error("Not implemented");
   }